


Lilies

by FlOrangey



Category: Code Vein (Video Game)
Genre: Flowers, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 09:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21719713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlOrangey/pseuds/FlOrangey
Summary: Mia isn't sure how she feels about the group.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	Lilies

Mia Karnstein sat in the main living area of Home Base, her hands folded as she tried to look busy. Her head was still spinning from the events of the last few days. The encounter in the Howling Pit, and the hunter, and waking up in this church surrounded by strange revenants that seemed far better at putting on an heir of friendliness than most. She was not sure what to do with herself, but she was also not sure what to make of the revenants who had taken her in. She watched them, trying to make sure they didn’t notice she was doing so.

Everyone was going about their day like it was just another Tuesday. She saw the group she had run into at the pit talking to a short revenant wearing a gas mask. She only barely remembered their names. The girl in the gas mask was Rin - which she only remembered because of how bubbly she was - and she thought the young man with messy hair was Louis. The other two she wasn’t sure. She watched them, then saw Louis and the other two look at her. Her eyes widened, and she turned away, bringing her attention to the jukebox in the corner.

She hoped they wouldn’t come near her. Then she heard footsteps.

“Mia?”

She mentally cursed her luck but looked up to see Louis. Behind was one of his companions, a man who looked like he could have been a few years older. They were both staring at her, and Mia stared back at them before giving a blunt: “What?” then winced at how cold she sounded. She shook her head and cleared her throat and looked back at them. “I’m sorry, did you need something?”

She could tell from how Louis looked to the side he noticed her shift in tone, but he decided not to bring attention to it. Instead he said, “Rin’s almost done doing maintenance on Marleu’s bayonet, she wanted to know if you needed anything done on yours before she puts her tools away.”

Mia looked over at Rin and the dark-skinned girl with bright red hair. She then looked back at Louis and shook her head. “No. I prefer to do my own repairs, but thank you for the offer.”

“Oh.... okay.” Mia watched his face, noticing how little emotion was on it, but that even she could see he sounded a little disappointed. “Well, if you need anything let us know, okay?”

“I will.” She said. Louis nodded and left, crossing the room to go to a desk with a bunch of books lying around. The other, however, stayed and watched him before turning to her.

“Look, I understand.” He said. She frowned. What was his name again? Yakumo? “You’ve been through a lot, probably seen more than your fair share of horror out there. But… give us a chance, okay? You’re safe here. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Mia stared at him before turning her attention back to her fingers. She heard him leave and let out a sigh before shaking her head. She was safe here. Nothing would happen to her. The words echoed into her head but she did not believe a single bit of it. Any day she expected their kindness to give way. Give her a bed to sleep on and a blood bead here or there before treating her like any other indentured servant. Revenants did it all the time. It was a pattern she fell into once, saw happen to too many, and never wanted to be in again.

So she would help this group with what they needed as a thank you for helping her when she started to frenzy. Then she would leave before they could take advantage of her. She nodded to herself then looked up when she saw a white-haired girl staring at her. She almost jumped to her feet. “Uh, you need something?” She asked. The girl stared at her, her head tilting before speaking.

“Your hat.” She said. Mai blinked, confused. “I like your hat.”

“O-oh. Uh thanks.” Mia stumbled reaching up to the large hat on her head. She kept her eyes on the girl. Scanning her up and down. She looked like she had seen better. Her poor dress… “You want to try it on?”

The girl’s response was slow, eyes moving to the ceiling as she thought to herself before giving her a nod. Mia took her hat off and stood up, walking over to her. “Here.” She held it out for the girl to take and when she did so, she inspected it like it was some foreign object before gingerly putting it on her head. Mia gave her a half smile. “It suits you.”

The girl nodded and the hat promptly fell off her head. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Mia picked up the hat and wiped the dust off. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” She then placed the hat back on the girl’s head, adjusting it so it sat more snug and comfortable. “There that’s better.”

The girl reached her hand up and then smiled at her.

* * *

Mia learned at some point that the girl’s name was Io. She saw her and Marleu talking now and again. Everyone got along well from what she could see. At the moment she was overhearing Louis, Marleu, and Yakumo talking in front of their map.

“It feels like we’re going in circles.” Louis was speaking, his voice strained from fatigue, eyes dark from stress. “We’ve tracked all three major points, we’ve found smaller springs in the middle, but no way to our source. What are we doing wrong?”

He let out a sigh as the other two looked at each other. Then Yakumo spoke. “Hey, look, I know it looks like we’re at a dead end, but think of it this way.” Louis looked at him. “Every blood vein we’ve followed has led us to a spring Marleu could revive. Which means we’re getting more blood beads into Vein. We might not be finding their source, but we’re slowly reversing a growing problem. That’s a good thing.”

“He’s right! And we’re also finding mistle and lightening the miasma.” Marleu piped up. “I know you want a more permanent solution, Louis, but we’re still getting our little victories. And as long as I can, I’ll do my part to make Vein better for us.”

Mia watched them. Louis’ face softened a little and a small smile crossed his face. Yakumo then punched him in the shoulder and he stumbled into his board. Marleu stared at the two before letting out a small laugh.

They were nice. Anybody could seem nice at first glance, but Mia noticed a genuineness between them all that differed from other revenant groups. The air in the church wasn’t as oppressive. The boys and girls respected each other’s boundaries. They respected hers. Most of them at least. Mia looked away from the three to see Rin reaching for her bayonet. She jumped to her feet and walked over.

“What are you doing?” Her voice made the revenant jump and turn around. She was wearing her gas mask, but her eyes squinted and cheeks pulled back in a way that made it obvious she was smiling.

“Just checking out your equipment.” She said. Mia frowned.

“Shouldn’t you ask permission first?” She asked. Rin’s eyes darted upward, then she bounced on her heels.

“May I inspect your gear? Make sure it’s in proper condition?” 

Mia couldn’t tell if Rin was mocking her or not, but let the girl take the bayonet off the shelf. Rin’s eyes widened as she held it in her hands. “It’s lighter than I thought.” She placed it on the workbench and inspected each part, her fingers crossing scratches on the blade, and worn points on the frame. While Mia could not see Rin’s lips, it was the look in her eyes that told her that the young girl was in serious contemplation.

“You’ve had this for a while, haven’t you?” She said, her eyes never leaving it.

“Long as I can remember.” She said. “Not that I can remember everything.”

Rin continued to study the weapon. “Your average bayonet normally isn’t as light as yours. And the guys said it packed a lot of punch.” She said, at first serious, then lighter, “Whoever you swiped this from really knew what they were doing.”

“What makes you think I stole it?” Mia asked. Rin looked at her and looked her over.

“Uh don’t take this the wrong way, but your repairs are rough.” Mia glared at her, which went unnoticed. “Anyway I can get this all cleaned up for you. New blade, some new bells and whistles. And if I don’t fix up this…” Rin moved her hand so Mia could see. “It’s gonna malfunction.”

Mia grimaced. “And if it does?”

“It’ll explode in your face. Probably kill you for real if the shrapnel flies in the wrong direction. Don’t think you want that.”

Mia’s eyes widened, and she bit her lip. “I guess that would be bad. If that happened.” The two girls fell quiet, Rin continued to inspect the bayonet with Mia watching as she did so before looking back at her.

“I’m sorry, by the way.” She said getting Mia’s attention. “I heard from Louis about your brother. One of the worst ways to go, especially for someone so young, or young-like. But it’s better than the alternative...”

Mia felt her body run cold. “It’s not his place to say anything.” She said, her voice harsh before waiting for a moment and taking a breath. “Sorry it’s just…”

“I get it. Kinda.” Rin said getting her attention, “We’ve all lost someone, even if we don’t remember them. Everyone feels and reacts differently. I just thought I’d let you know, we’re thinking about you.”

Mia stared at her, trying to wrap her head around the girl’s words. “Why?” She asked. “You have no reason to. You barely know me.”

“Well, we know you promised to help us and we’d help you.” Rin said, “But that doesn’t mean we’ll leave you high and dry. Anything you need from weapon repairs to blood beads are yours. Our house is your house for the time being. And it’s pretty good compared to some places. We even have a hot spring!”

“And the catch?” Mia asked. “It can’t possibly just be help find… this source you’re looking for.”

“No, that’s pretty much it.” Rin said, a grin hiding behind her mask. “I mean if Louis’ right and we find it, life around here’ll get easier. That’ll make it easier for us to track down the hunter for your revenge. It’s a win for everyone. But we’re gonna need to make sure you’re in fighting shape.”

Mia glanced down at the bayonet, then back at Rin. “You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t think it’s that easy.”

Rin made a small noise that sounded like a mix between a snort and a giggle. “Oh, I get it. I don’t know how many times I’ve patched up Louis or Yakumo’s gear while they’re carrying out their mission. But none of us expected this to be a walk in the park. We all signed on because we hoped one day we could make Vein a better place. Better to hope for the better than wallow in despair. At least, that’s what I think.”

Mia was quiet as Rin continued to look over her weapon. She glanced over at the others to see them disperse, Marleu going over to talk to Io and Yakumo and Louis exchanging a brief conversation before the latter left the living area and the former joined them.

“Ladies, always hard at work Rin.” He said as Rin shrugged.

“Someone’s gotta make sure your gears in proper condition. You won’t.” Rin said, her tone light and teasing. Yakumo grinned.

“Hey, cut me a little credit. I only stopped cause you kept saying ‘Yakumo that’s wrong, you’re gonna break something.’”

“And you did.”

The young man rolled his eyes and looked down at the bayonet in front of them. Just from a glance he knew it was Mia’s. “This one’s seen its fair share of fights. Must have quite a few stories, huh?”

Mia shrugged. She wouldn’t know, she hadn’t been running around Vein stealing blood beads for herself and her brother just so she could come back and share stories about it. Yakumo continued to look over her weapon. Letters carved on the side caught his attention. “What this say here? ‘Bro-Dee-aa?’”

“Brodiaea.” Mia said, “It’s another name for cluster-lilies.”

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “You like lilies?”

Mia wasn’t sure how to answer that question. She could see vague memories in the back of her mind of her and Nicola picking flowers in a park on a quieter, more peaceful day. She could not remember if it was after the collapse or while wandering Vein. She couldn’t remember whether they were lilies, but it was always Nicola that ran to pick them. She was not far behind but…

“A little.” She mumbled, eyes cast down to the floor. She felt the other two’s gaze on her and stepped back. “Uh, could you excuse me? I need some air.”

She turned on her heels and walked to the large opening in the church, ignoring Rin’s shouts about fixing up her weapon. She looked out at the sight of the ruined city, the red wall of mist hovering just above the desolate buildings. A sad sight. No matter where she was in Vein, she found reminders that the place was a prison for her and Nicola. And now it was just her prison.

* * *

She remembered one of them - probably Louis - tried to assure her that Nicola being turned to ash meant he would not become one of the Lost. Mia understood why that had been his approach, but it brought little comfort, and did not change the fact he was gone. The only reason she survived Vein was for protecting him, but now what? There was just the snowy plains the others promised to help her find. Whatever was after was up to her, but she could not even bear to think about what that could be after. Not without Nicola.

She looked up when she saw Io take a seat next to her. The girl folded her hands onto the makeshift table and looked at her. Mia had noticed Io had a habit of staring at everyone, but for the moment seemed to have most of her attention on. “What?” Mia asked. Io looked down at her hands and Mia sighed. “Sorry, what is it?”

With her tone a little more gentle, Io seemed more comfortable looking at her and speaking. “I wanted to ask a question.” She said, “What was he like? Your brother.”

The question hung in the air as Mia stared at her, then leaned back, trying to get her thoughts together. “He was kind.” She started, “Energetic and curious. He often got himself into trouble. I remember before… everything, I’d have to grab him to keep him from running into traffic. Even after all this he still had a tendency to run off when he found something he wanted to show me.”

A small smile crossed Mia’s face. “He wanted to protect me more than anything.” She said.

“He did?” Io asked. “But he was so small, right?”

“That’s just how family is sometimes.” She said, “We only had each other. Nicola would always keep running on ahead to make sure Lost weren’t around because he didn’t want me to get into fights. He hated it when I got hurt protecting him. He’d always go ‘when I get bigger I’ll protect you for once.’”

“But…” Io started then trailed off when Mia sniffled. Some fresh tears began forming in her eyes.

“We always, always tried our best. Because we could only count on each other, no one else. Some days were harder than others, but we made it. We always made it until…” Her sniffles became louder and Io got up and hurried into the church. She came back with a small handkerchief and sat back down. She held it out and Mia looked between it and her. “That’s not…”

“Please take it.” She said. Mia stared at it. From the black coloring she had a strong feeling it was not even Io’s. She wanted to say no, but something told her whoever it belonged too wouldn’t mind. She took the cloth and just let herself cry, using it to dry her tears. Io’s calm voice and mumblings of ‘it’s okay, we’re here for you’ broke through her sobs and sniffles.

She eventually began to settle down, taking a deep breath and shakily letting it out. “I miss him. I miss him so much.” She said and looked at Io. “I’m sure you’ve lost someone you cared about too.”

Io’s opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped, closed it, and turned her gaze downward. Mai watched her, then remembered what she said and what she learned during her travels. “Right. Not every revenant remembers their past.”

“Yes. I don’t remember mine. But I have someone I care for now, that’s what keeps me going.” Io’s words made Mia turn to see Marleu, Louis, and Yakumo talking about something. She noticed Io specifically looking at the girl with bright red hair.

“Her?” Io nodded at her question.

“I can’t explain why, but I feel it is my duty to protect her.” She said, “That purpose, that keeps me going.”

Mia nodded, thinking of Io’s words and said, “I want to avenge him, my brother, but I don’t know what I’d do after.” Io nodded. “This world is harsh and terrible, all I’d be doing is just struggling to survive on my own. I don’t have anyone like you do. Not anymore.”

“What about here?” Io asked. Mia looked back into the church and shook her head. “No?”

“Sorry, but I don’t know any of you.” She said, watching the sad look cross Io’s face. “I mean, if what you say you’re trying to do is true, I welcome it. Anything would be better than what we have right now. But I don’t know where that places me.”

Io said nothing, but Mia could see the sympathetic look clear on her face. She let out a breath, knowing her face was undoubtedly red and puffy from crying and leaned back in her seat, staring at the Gaol of Mists in the distance.

* * *

The church was bustling with activity near the beginning of the morning. Louis had gotten a lead on the statue thanks to Coco, and he and Marleu set out to investigate the area. Yakumo and Rin were talking to Davis. Io was standing nearby listening to them. Mia stopped as she observed the others. She knew the name of every single person in this church. Including Davis, the one person who was there the least. She knew their names and a little about them. They knew her and a little about her too.

But that didn’t stop her from jumping when Rin shouted. “Hey, Mia.” She bounded over her workbench and stopped just inches from the girl. “There you are. Did you sleep well?”

“Uh, yeah? Kinda.” A little better than the previous night. Rin grinned under her mask and took her hand.

“Come here, we got something to show you.” She pulled her over to the workbench. Davis excused himself, but gave her a smile before going back to his own work. Rin stood Mia in front of the workbench, and Mia’s eyes fell on one particular item. A pot and inside some rich soil. There was no plant, but a makeshift board had ‘Nicola’ written on it. She stared at the name and had to force herself to look at them.

“This is…”

“Unfortunately, we were rushing so fast to get you back here we didn’t have time to pick up his ashes.” Yakumo said, “But that doesn’t mean we can’t leave give him a resting place.”

It took Mia several seconds to understand, reaching up at the pot, then bringing her hand to her chin. “It’s empty.”

“Yeah, well, we thought you might want to plant these.” Yakumo held up a small bag of seeds which Mia took. She read the label, feeling fresh tears fall down her cheeks.

“Thank you. This is…” She found herself at a loss of how to describe what was in front of her. Rin moved closer and wrapped an arm around her, a gesture that should have made her push away, but instead brought her comfort. She leaned in a bit closer to her.

“Let’s find a nice place for him.”

It wasn’t hard for her to pick a place. Mia placed the pot against the balcony, in front of the rubble, overlooking the rest of Vein. She then put the recommended number of seeds into the pot and took the watering can Io handed her and gave it a light sprinkle. Someday it would sprout. Someday it would bloom and glisten in the sunlight above them.

It would see the world Vein would become. Nicola would see that world. A world Mia would help the others create.

“Aww, your smile is so cute!” Rin said, getting Mia’s confused attention. “Now, who’s up for a movie night?”

Yakumo shook his head berating her for ruining the moment, not realizing he was doing the same. Io looked at them and then at Mia and smiled.

And Mia smiled back.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote probably...80% of this while sick and the proofreading probably shows but I'm more surprised it's coherent. I'll make additional fixes when I'm not hurrying to work.


End file.
